Richie Porte on Tour Down Under's queen stages - "We’re going to get action from start to finish"
Cycling
Richie Porte is a name that is inherently connected with the Tour Down Under. The former pro, who has won the race several times and also won atop the Old Willunga Hill on many occasions, has shared his thoughts on the 2024 route and where the race should be decided.
This was in an analysis for GCN, where Porte took a look at all stages in this edition. His words on stage 5, which finished atop the Old Willunga Hill - which is back this year - are important, as someone who's triumphed there more times than anyone else. "Positioning is massive on the run-in to the climb and you have to burn some matches on the approach but you want your big, strong teammates, to put you near the front. There’s a huge fight and incredibly hectic with guys off in the gravel as they try and come through," he tells. "The first ascent is just ridden at tempo but the pace increases over the top."
This climb should be key in the race's outlook, being the toughest, but also having bonifications at the finale which coincides with the stage finish. "The hardest part of the climb is probably between 1.2km to go and the final 300m. That’s where you win it." However, race organizers this year have decided to combine Willunga with the final stage to Mount Lofty, which was the novelty of the 2023 route and still provided spectacle in the final day of racing. At the time, Simon Yates won the stage over Jay Vine, who conquered the ochre jersey.
"Lofty isn’t as hard as Willunga - and I’ve only done it in training - but you can make a difference and the worst thing would be going into the final day with a sense of complacency," the Australian said on the final stage where the race will end. "You have to remember, that even if the overall win is secure, you’re going to get riders fighting for the top ten because of the all-important WorldTour points. Teams will throw the kitchen sink at this stage. There’s almost 3,000m of climbing in less than 130km, so we’re going to get action from start to finish."
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling forRafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
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Team presentations are this Friday! Come into the City of Adelaide Tour Village and see which WorldTour riders will be racing in the peloton, and get an insight into who this year’s favourites will be 🚴♀️ 🚴♂️ ⏰ 6:00pm 📍 City of Adelaide Tour Village
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